I waited. My eyes shut and my head was practically drowned out by the hat. I could smell the dustiness and it reminded me of old attics.

I waited some more. My eyes were still shut and I shifted uncomfortably on the old, rackety stool. Wait..Wasn’t the hat supposed to analyse your brain and actually speak to you? Sweat trickled down my forehead as I worried why it was taking so long.

What if I’m not magical? What if the letter wasn’t meant for me? Could have the owl got confused and delivered it to me accidently? But that doesn’t explain how I was able to move things suddenly without touching when I was angry or excited. I told myself to calm down and take a deep breath.

But after reading a little bit about Hogwarts, I knew that I’d definitely not fit into Gryffindor or Slytherin. I certainly didn’t have guts to do things nor was I cunning or ambitious. That left me with Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. I’d bet on the latter one though.

‘Then you would lose the bet,’ said a deep voice from my head and I almost fell off my chair. ‘I know you aren’t willing to work hard for things you don’t like.’

Then, I’m in Ravenclaw..?, I thought, taken aback by the Hat’s reaction.

‘No my child, you’re a born leader,’ said the Hat in a matter-of-fact tone, ‘and you’re destined to do great things.’

Me? Great things? The Hat’s got to be kidding me! I wasn’t talented nor was I hardworking! How was I going to be great?

But besides the pessimism, I felt a tiny spark of hope. Maybe I could finally shine and become successful.

After what seemed like ages again, the Sorting Hat spoke again, ‘Your journey will be hard but with all that determination and shrewdness in you, you’ll get through with flying colours.’

I gulped.

‘Good luck Ms Green’ said the Hat half amused.

I shuddered when it said my name but just a moment later,

‘S L Y T H E R I N!’

And this time, I did actually fall of the chair. I got up and Professor McGonagall picked the hat off my head.

I looked around at the Great Hall. There were four long tables with kids and teens from the ages 11 to 17 sitting on the benches staring at me. The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws were shocked and some even pitiful. I looked at my left at the one last remaining house or MY house –Slytherin.

They looked disgusted and were shooting daggers at me.

‘Go ahead, join your house mates,’ said Professor McGonagall and gave me a nudge.

I nodded dumbly and walked down the stairs rather clumsily to the Slytherin table. I sat down on an empty seat beside a girl with wild black hair. Even before I could look at her, she got up, spat at me and walked away to sit beside a blonde girl further down the table.

I sighed and tried to ignore the different stares from people. An old man with a long pointed blue hat and equally long white beard cleared his throat. Every head turned to the headmaster’s direction and the Sorting Ceremony resumed.

‘Howard, Kimberly, ’ called out Professor McGonagall.

Just after about a few moments later, the tall pretty girl walked proudly over to the Gryffindor house table. The other Gryffindors were clapping wildly as they welcomed Kimberly to their house. The entire lot was sitting year wise and I looked at the first years. There were two girls, Kimberly and a pretty red-head whose name was Lily Evans and there was one boy. He had long curly black hair and boy was he handsome!

Why couldn’t I be one of them? Why did the hat put me in Slytherin of all houses?

Soon, the ceremony ended and the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore gave us a short speech and we began eating. As I sipped my pumpkin juice, I noticed the other Slytherins barely touching their food. They were whispering to each other and sending occasional glares to me. I tried my best to eat my food and ignore the bubbling anger within me.

‘Don’t even think of standing next to me!’ the girl with the wild black hair yelled. I narrowed my eyes and took a few steps backward trying my best not to respond to her.

‘Shut up Bellatrix! I don’t have time to deal with all you midgets!’ shouted the Slytherin prefect Prudence as she led the group of Slytherin to the dungeons where their dorms were.

Bellatrix scowled and looked like she wanted to kill Prudence.

‘First year girls!’ yelled Prudence again as pushed in me, two identical-looking girls and a blonde inside.

There’s only one word to describe the room- Green.

Absolutely everything was emerald green with silver lines or patterns on them. The room was spacious and there was a long arch-like window beside my bed. But the most fascinating thing was that the window wasn’t overlooking a forest, a garden or a tower like a expected it to be. All I could see was water.

The Slytherin dungeons are below The Black Lake.

I ran over to the window, half-expecting some vicious aquatic monster but there were sea weeds swaying and they looked like synchronized dancers. The water came up till half the window’s size and above it were large, green mountains.

I was in awe.

Looking around the room, I saw three other similar beds. Two of them were occupied by the black haired twins and the other by the blonde girl who was now unpacking.

I wandered out of the room and entered the Common Room. This was a large green room as well and the windows were similar. But it was unnaturally cold and chilly. Everyone was glaring at me. I had got along my dad’s camera with me and it got quite a few weird and hateful looks as well.

‘Look at you filthy girl! Don’t you know anything?’ said a voice from my back. It was that girl with the wild, black hair. She was tall and was in fourth year at that time. Her face was stretched into a menacing sneer and her eyes were angry.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I can’t believe a Muggle is in Slytherin! You don’t deserve to be in the noble house of Slytherin,’ she yelled at me.

‘The Hat sorted me in this house, I-‘

‘Don’t you dare speak of this house disrespectfully!’ she yelled ‘Dumbledore’s mad! He’s allowing you stupid unworthy Muggles in Hogwarts and a Muggle in Slytherin!’

A group of tall students behind Bellatrix made agreeing noises and a lot of them were supporting her. I felt tears brimming my eyes. I hated being alone.

‘Being a Muggle does not make a difference,’ I said weakly.

‘Of course it does! You’re a filthy, little Mudblood’ she spat at me. She snatched my camera, threw it on the ground and stepped on it mercilessly. I tried to stop her but I was held back by two strong arms.

Bellatrix laughed and I took what remained of my favourite camera and stomped back angrily to my dorm.

I fell onto my bed, my eyes were red and puffy and I was still in my robes. Did my life have to be so bad? I was just 11! I could still hear Bellatrix’s provoking voice and felt an urge to harm her. She deserved to suffer. How dare she be so mean to me?

I breathed in and out and tried to calm myself down.

After an hour of sniffing, I finally slept.

And that was the first day of Scarlet Green, the only Muggle-born (or Mudblood) Slytherin in the entire history of Hogwarts.